Jesse James' betrayal could evoke sympathy for Sandra Bullock

March 19, 2010|By Denise Joyce | Tribune staff reporter

Sandra Bullock might have the last laugh.

Recent revelations that her husband, Jesse James, had an affair with tattoo model Michelle "Bombshell" McGee prompted The Associated Press to query experts about the impact on the Oscar-winning actress's career.

"Ironically, it can actually bolster her fame," says Karen Sternheimer, a sociologist at the University of Southern California who studies pop culture and celebrity. "This development ... adds to her image as a sympathetic figure that especially women can relate to."

It's a safe bet that not too many women can relate to the other woman in this affair. For instance, TMZ.com reports that McGee was an "enthusiastic" participant in a Nazi-themed photo shoot last year. People magazine rounds out the picture by pointing out that McGee is covered in tattoos, works as a stripper, chats and poses on an adult Web site and uses a lewd phrase for her Twitter page.